Yasiel Puig’s nagging hamstring injury has ultimately resulted in a trip to the DL
Yasiel Puig is headed to the disabled list, due to a hamstring issue that has finally required him to seek extended time off. This issue has bothered him for the last two weeks. Puig was out four games last week, but returned when the Dodgers faced the San Francisco Giants. Then Friday against the San Diego Padres he reinjured the hamstring trying to beat out a ground ball to third base. It does not appear to be serious, as most accounts, it could only be a 4-5 day issue, but manager Don Mattingly believes the right thing to do is shut him down. “It’s just a matter of not wanting to continue on,” Manager Don Mattingly said. “We really feel like he’ll probably be able to play in four or five days. But we’re in the same situation we were in last week, where we wait four, five, he plays three and then something else. I think, at this point, get the thing right, make sure we have him for the long haul.”
This is the first time that Puig will see the DL in his three seasons in the majors. On Sunday, he tried to test out the hamstring in the batting cage and while running on the field, but it was time to put it all to a stop for a while. “I think he’s disappointed because he thinks he’s going to be ready to play in four or five days,” Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. “That’s the tough part. Being ready to play and being 100 percent are different. Yasiel plays at one speed. I think we see that. There’s no real putting the governor on him. He’s just going to play at that speed. It’s tough for him to say, ‘Hey, you’ve got to back off.’ That’s where you’ve got to protect him from himself.”
Puig was batting .279 with two home runs, and will be replaced by outfielder Andre Ethier who has been batting .353 with five extra-base hits in 34 at-bats. Scott Baker, who will start the game for the Dodgers, was called up from Triple-A Oklahoma City. Right-hander Carlos Frias was also promoted from Triple-A.
To create a place for Baker on the 40-man roster, the Dodgers moved right-hander Brandon League to the 60-day disabled list.
Fantasy Impact
Losing Puig for two weeks is definitely not something that owners were hoping to see. Andre Ethier is a good replacement option based on his production so far this year, and then you can drop Ethier when Puig returns. You can also see if the following outfielders are available in your league; Steven Souza (97.6% ownership), Chris Young (40.5% ownership), and Ender Inciarte (77.4% ownership). Ownership percentage is based on ESPN leagues.
Mike Valverde is a correspondent for FantasyPros, and he also writes for Fantasy Sports Warehouse. You can follow Mike @RFLRedZone and Fantasy Sports Warehouse @FantasySportsWH.
